Nevada

Bordello murders, fatal wedding-day accidents, hate-fueled arson
attacks, and other tragedies have left behind unsettled spirits in
historic restaurants and bars across the country. For the spine-chilling
chance to see the resident apparitions and experience their antics, sit
down to a filet mignon in Michigan or hit the slot machines at a Nevada
saloon. Here are some of America's most haunted restaurants and
bars—ones that have given employees, patrons, and even ghost hunters
more than what they ordered.

Mission Table, Traverse City, Michigan

The unhappy ghost of Genevive Stickney, an obese and jealous woman, still frequents her former residence, now Mission Table
restaurant. As the story goes, Genevive and her Chicago lumber-baron
husband built the home in the late 1800s. Succumbing to the excesses of
good food and fruit brandies, the attractive Genevive became quite
stout. She had a special gilt-edged mirror installed that made her
appear thinner than she was, but eventually she became so large that she
needed an elevator to transport her to the second floor. When her
philandering husband took up with a mistress and left the mistress all
his money, Genevive took her own life.

Haunted Encounters: In Genevive's mirror,
restaurant guests have seen the reflection of a woman dressed in
19th-century clothing with hair pulled into a tight bun, the way
Genevive wore hers. Lights turn themselves on and off, objects are
mysteriously hurled through the air at people, hands on the grandfather
clock are moved ahead, and candles are found burning in the morning.

The Brass Rail, Hoboken, New Jersey

A ghost bride is said to haunt the historical Brass Rail
restaurant in downtown Hoboken. Legend has it that on her wedding day
in 1904, she tripped at the top of the staircase, fell, broke her neck,
and died. Later that night, her distraught husband, who was drinking
heavily, wrote a suicide note and hung himself in a room near the
stairs.

Haunted Encounters: Restaurant staff and
patrons have spotted spirits of the bride and groom wandering up and
down the stairs. A photo taken by the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society
revealed a white wisp of smoke hovering above the stairs when no one was
smoking in the room. Others say they have heard walking in the upstairs
dining room when it was empty and seen the ghost of a woman wearing
white in the back alley.

The UpStairs Lounge, New Orleans, Louisiana

Forty years ago, one of the deadliest crimes against the LGBT
community in U.S. history took place at this French Quarter gay bar
above The Jimani Lounge & Restaurant
when an arsonist set it on fire, killing 32 men. The UpStairs Lounge
had only one entrance—the door at the bottom of the stairwell, where the
fire originated. While the fire blazed, patrons tried desperately to
climb out the windows but couldn't escape, since windows were mostly
barred or blocked completely. Several bodies were unclaimed by
embarrassed family members, and the arsonist was never caught. The
UpStairs Lounge area is now the kitchen of the first-floor Jimani Lounge
& Restaurant.

Haunted Encounters: The building's current
owner, who witnessed the event as a child when his father was owner, has
seen apparitions of charred bodies, dark shadows, white orbs, and
flashes of light in the building. When Syfy's Ghost Hunters crew visited last year, detectors picked up screeching noises in the stairwell.

The Masquerade, Atlanta, Georgia

This concert venue in Atlanta's historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood
was originally a mill that produced wood shavings. Since the mill
property's opening at the turn of the 20th century, it has seen its
share of fires, structural collapses, and the gruesome accidental death
of mill worker Hubert Neal in 1899. But the grisly stories that
circulate at The Masquerade only add to the appeal for the goths, metalheads, and punk rockers who converge here for shows.

Haunted Encounters: Staff and concertgoers
repeatedly report sightings of an apparition of a tall black man and say
they've heard voices, screaming, and heavy phantom footsteps. An
investigation by the Georgia Society for the Paranormal Sciences
gathered accounts from multiple employees who described the feeling of
being watched. The group recorded several unexplained noises and
encountered a dark human-shaped mass. In the middle of the night, the
group watched as a mysterious dense white fog appeared and dissipated on
the club's second level, called "Heaven."

Pioneer Saloon, Goodsprings, Nevada

The paranormal activity at this 100-year-old Wild West saloon just outside Las Vegas kicked off the 2013 season of Ghost Adventures
on The Travel Channel. Reportedly haunted by an elderly miner and a
cheating gambler who was killed at a card table in 1915, the Pioneer Saloon
hasn't changed much since the days of the town's mining boom. Bullet
holes from the gambler's murder can still be seen in the wall.

Haunted Encounters: Nearly every bar
employee has seen the ghost of the elderly miner, a short man who wears a
cowboy hat, standing behind people at the slot machines or hanging out
by the potbellied stove. The spirit of the gambler makes an occasional
appearance at a card table at the back of the bar. Visitors and staff
have also been known to hear disembodied voices and see mysterious
trails of cigarette smoke materialize.

The Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro, Little River, South Carolina

Drawing paranormal-research conferences, A&E's My Ghost Story crew, and numerous investigation groups, The Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro
has been called the most haunted location on the Grand Strand. It's
just north of Myrtle Beach's main drag in a 103-year-old Victorian home.
The restaurant owners have embraced the supernatural, saying they've
never felt threatened. They regularly plan special-event dinners with
psychics and talk openly about the restaurant's spook factor.

Haunted Encounters: Guests often get
"locked" in the second-floor bathroom. Strange voices, unexplained
movement of equipment, and shadowy figures have been reported by even
the most skeptical guests and employees. When one of the restaurant
owners asked the spirit who was there, the reply—captured in a
recording—was "Clarence." Clarence and Essie Bessent-McCorsley were the
original owners of the Victorian home.

Jean Bonnet Tavern, Bedford, Pennsylvania

Built in the 1760s at a major junction of the only road connecting
eastern Pennsylvania with the Ohio River, the Jean Bonnet was an
important trading post and watering hole for early settlers. If the
tavern's original stone walls could talk, they'd tell of rowdy trappers
and traders, Whiskey Rebellion farmers' meetings, and encampments of
troops summoned here by George Washington. Stories of the spirits at the
Jean Bonnet Tavern are captured in The Pennsylvania Ghost Guide, Vol. II by Patty A. Wilson.

Haunted Encounters: Guests and staff
describe a strange man in the bar after-hours, doors being opened and
closed, and the sensation of being touched when no one is around. When
members of the Central Pennsylvania Paranormal Association spent the
night, a group of apparitions in frontier-type clothing appeared in a
doorway and watched a man playing the piano at the other end of the bar.

Catfish Plantation, Waxahachie, Texas

In the south Dallas suburb of Waxahachie, Catfish Plantation
restaurant occupies an 1895 Victorian home where three former residents
are believed to have died. The apparition of Elizabeth, murdered here
on her wedding day in the 1920s, appears in her wedding gown. A
Depression-era farmer named Will walks around the lobby and front porch
in his overalls. Caroline, a strict religious woman who detested
alcohol, passed away here in 1970, and now she sends wine glasses flying
into the wall. The Travel Channel's Extreme Restaurants show, NBC News, and several paranormal groups have reported on the Catfish Plantation's strange occurrences.

Haunted Encounters: Besides seeing the
resident ghosts, the restaurant's guests and staff have felt cold spots
that move around. Clocks with missing parts chime. Doors, lights, and
faucets all operate at will. And several knives go missing every night.

The Jury Room, Columbus, Ohio

One of the oldest continually operating restaurants in Columbus,
opened in 1831, this downtown mainstay has plenty of stories to fuel its
ghostly reputation. It was built on Native American burial ground and
lost its third floor to a fire in the late 1800s. The original tin
ceiling and historical photos are a throwback to The Jury Room's
days as a bordello. At the bar, you can order a "Hung Jury," a
"Bordello Bubbly," or a "Lorenzo's Revenge," all nods to the prostitute
who shot a man on the bordello's front doorstep in the 1850s and her
subsequent trial for murder.

Haunted Encounters: A tall, shadowy man has
been seen roaming around the bar and appearing behind bartenders.
Objects move at will and women describe being attacked by unseen forces.
There have been so many occurrences that the staff now keeps a ghost
log and The Travel Channel's The Dead Files has come to investigate.

High Noon Restaurant & Saloon, Albuquerque, New Mexico

In Albuquerque's Old Town, two different spirits are believed to haunt High Noon Restaurant & Saloon,
housed in one of the historic district's oldest structures. Constructed
in 1785, the building has served as both a casino and a successful
brothel. According to Ken Hudnall's book Spirits of the Border IV: The History and Mystery of New Mexico,
some say High Noon is haunted by the ghost of a trapper. The female
spirit, investigated by the Southwest Ghost Hunter's Association, wears
an old-fashioned white formal dress.

Haunted Encounters: Hudnall says the male
ghost may be responsible for the unseen tapping that customers and
employees feel on their shoulders, the smell of burning when the
fireplace isn't lit, and the calling out of employees' names. Several
customers and staff members have reported supernatural sightings,
including the female spirit, who haunts the Santos Room lounge. High
Noon is one of many restaurants and bars on the lantern-lit Ghost Tour of Old Town.

We know, we know: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But if you're
not savvy, this can include the contents of your wallet, checking
account, and 401(k).

While accommodations come cheap in Sin City, expensive attractions
($14 to ride a roller coaster) and overpriced shows ($200 a pop) can eat
up your budget and leave you with nothing. Don't break the bank on your
Sin City trip. Here are 10 totally free attractions to discover in Las
Vegas instead.

Fountains and Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio

This watery attraction pops up in just about every Vegas movie ever made, including the iconic ending to Ocean's Eleven. Create your own crime caper or rom-com ending and catch the Fountains of Bellagio
in action; the free show plays every 15 minutes or every half hour,
depending on the time of day. Thrillingly synced to pop and classical
music, hundreds of separate fountains and water features shoot up into
the air with the Italianate hotel facade as their stunning backdrop.
When you've had your fountain fill, take a leisurely stroll through
Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, where horticulturalists
maintain an ever-changing array of florals, gazebos, bridges, and
ponds. The gardens are also free for visitors and provide a nice respite
from the relentless desert sun.

Fremont Street Experience

Equal parts mall, concert venue, and light show, the Fremont Street Experience
takes everything that Vegas is known for (glitter, lights, and
gambling) and rolls it into one five-block area. The main attraction
here is a barrel vault canopy aglow with 12.5 million LED lights that
lead pedestrians to vintage casinos such as the Golden Nugget and the
Four Queens. Guests can also enjoy free concerts from hard-rocking headliners (Fuel, Lit, Third Eye Blind, etc.) all summer long.

P3Studio At The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas

And you thought Las Vegas had no culture. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
has amassed one of the most exclusive art collections in the country,
providing a highbrow break from the Strip's bare skin and penny slots.
In its posh third-floor P3Studio, The Cosmopolitan displays,
commissions, and sells works by a rotating cadre of well-known artists
in residence (think David LaChapelle and the toy retailer Kidrobot). You
won't need a wallet, but bring your imagination—these decidedly modern
exhibitions are free. Afterward, take a spin around The Cosmopolitan's
public spaces and exterior for new-media installations by Yoko Ono, T.J.
Wilcox, and other big names in digital art.

CBS Television City Research Center at MGM Grand

You might not be a network exec, but you can still have your voice heard. At the CBS Television City Research Center
at MGM Grand, you can sample brand-new TV shows and opine on potential
pilots during free hour-long screenings. Pick up a ticket between 10
a.m. and 8:30 p.m. and head into one of the studios to sample program
offerings by CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and other Viacom-owned channels.
Register your opinion on a test monitor and consider yourself part of
television history before returning to your regularly scheduled
vacation.

Circus Acts at Circus Circus Las Vegas

This family-approved spot on the Strip has long entertained guests
with its Carnival Midway and countless circus acts. In fact, the resort
contains the largest permanent circus in the world.
A rotating cast of jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, and roller-skating
stuntmen delights kids of every age (and the cash-strapped parents
toting their new carnival prizes). Cap off the entertainment with a
rousing show from Circus Circus' resident clowns, Dave, Huel, Tonya, and
Scotty, on the Midway's main stage or at the adjoining Adventuredome.
Let the fact that all this entertainment is free assuage any lingering
clown phobia.

Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas

You'll likely encounter a variety of colorful creatures on the Las
Vegas Strip, from partying bachelorettes with questionably shaped but
anatomically correct lollipops to celebrities on their baddest behavior.
Catch a glimpse of a different kind of flamboyance at Flamingo Las Vegas,
with its habitat chock-full of the pink-hued birds. A flock (actually
called a flamboyance) of Chilean flamingos is on view at the
complimentary exhibit, which also features an array of swans, ducks, koi
fish, and turtles who live among the foliage and waterfalls. The
habitat is located next to the pool area and is open to guests and
non-guests alike.

Volcano at The Mirage

Well, this spot has really blown up. With a soundtrack by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, this heart-pounding audio/visual attraction
at the Polynesian-themed Mirage spews fire into the Vegas air beginning
at 7 p.m. every night. The smoke that the volcano spouts more than 100
feet above the water is actually perfumed with a pleasant pina colada
scent (to cover up the odor of natural gas). The spectacle rivals the
well-known fountains at Bellagio, just a half mile up the Strip.

Pinball Hall of Fame

This nonprofit please-touch museum is actually the world's largest pinball-machine collection.
In 10,000 square feet of space, find an assortment of more than 200
pinball machines and arcade games from a half century of gaming history.
And every game is playable—including an original Ms. Pac-Man from 1981
and Super Mario Bros. from 1985, plus the wooden 1947 Heavy Hitter.
Admission is free, although the games are coin-op (25 or 50 cents per
play). Just arm yourself with the knowledge that all excess revenue goes
to charity. Who knew doing good could feel like such good old-fashioned
fun?

Aquarium at Silverton Casino

The only sting here is from jellyfish. Consistently ranked one of the top free attractions in Las Vegas, the massive saltwater aquarium in Silverton Casino
will transport you from the parched desert to a vast tropical oasis.
Around 117,000 gallons of saltwater house 4,000-some fish and reef
plants as well as six species of shark and stingray. Interactive feeding
demonstrations and a mermaid show round out the offerings, while the
hotel's colossal Bass Pro Shops outpost has more tanks to explore—and
Olympic-level window-shopping to undertake.

Lake Tahoe attracts visitors year-round, and the Lake becomes a wonderland of activities in the winter. You can take a gondola ride for the best views, or visit a Swiss chalet for fondue. And then after a day out, return to your cozy hotel, where the price is almost as nice as the location.

PlayHeavenly Tahoe scenic gondola ride: Take a ride high into the sky on a Heavenly gondola. The 12-minute journey takes you nearly two-and-a-half miles up the mountain, where the eight-passenger car stops at an observation station known as the Deck. From here, you'll encounter sweeping views of Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley, and Desolation Wilderness, and you can grab a quick bite to eat or drink. Rides cost $30 per person.

EatTahoe Swiss Chalet: This restaurant brought Switzerland to Lake Tahoe 50 years ago, and it's been a hit with locals and out-of-towners ever since. In addition to its famous fondue, you'll find a range of regional Swiss specialties, such as wienershnitzel and raclette. Come out of the cold into a friendly European atmosphere, and enjoy the warmth of gooey cheese. Entrees start at $19.95.

StayAlpenrose Inn: Less than 10 minutes from the gondola, you'll find a comfy place to kick off your ski boots and relax. Each room at the Alpenrose is decorated to capture a different style, such as the English Tea Room or the Tahoe Cabin, and some come equipped with a kitchenette for longer stays. Rooms start at just $49 per night, and include continental breakfast.

To search for flights and compare prices to Reno, which is home to Lake Tahoe's closest airport, please use our price-comparison tool.

Look at the calendar, my friends—it ain't April Fool's Day. A Market Metrix survey of 35,000 combined visitors to both cities shows that people prefer Atlantic City to Las Vegas, albeit by a slim margin. A.C. edged out Sin City in overall customer satisfaction, as well as "emotion scores," which measure seemingly unquantifiable attributes such as how sophisticated and hip/cool each city is. Atlantic City was considered to be a far greater value, which is probably the source of most of its appeal.

I can't help but feel a little befuddled here. I grew up in Jersey, and I've been to Atlantic City a number of times, though admittedly not in years. I recall, however, a prevailing feeling of shabbiness, and what I remember most is seeing bus after bus unloading retirees from the northern suburbs. Not exactly hip and cool, right? Vegas, on the other hand, is a nonstop circus of over-the-top debauchery and glamour, even if the latter is mostly superficial.

That said, Atlantic City has changed a great deal in the past five or seven years. New hotels such as the Borgata have classed up the place, bringing in celebrity chefs and popular acts like Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton (and Paul Anka, but who's counting?). Conversely, Vegas is creeping toward overkill (which, for Vegas, is saying a lot), with mega-hotel after mega-hotel rising up like a bad poker player's debt.

I turn to you, my fair readers, for some insight here. Help a lost blogger make sense of this. Is Atlantic City, tucked away in stinky (but loveable) New Jersey, really preferable to the glitzy, elegant, celebrity-magnet kingdom of Las Vegas? Post your comments below!

If you're a traveler like me, your typical vacation will include a trip up to a scenic lookout where you're likely to have the best view of the place you're visiting. And if you're a big wuss like me, as soon as you get to the most scenic vantage point, your knees will start wobbling and you'll grip the handrail with vise-like intensity/strength, thinking, "I could've gotten this view from a postcard in the lobby!" For those of you who like the idea (if not necessarily the reality) of a great view, I've put together the following list of 10 attractions, each of which is extremely nosebleed-friendly.

10. The CN Tower

The CN Tower is 553 meters tall, which is a Canadian way of saying 1,815 feet off the ground. Technically, it's the "tallest free-standing structure on land," but that just means it's not a place where people live or work. Which is just fine by me, because I have absolutely no interest in living or working anyplace higher than my third-floor bedroom or fourth-floor office. The CN Tower was completed in 1973 and is used primarily for TV and radio broadcasts, as well as tourism. Fans of 1940s music will be dismayed to learn that there is no AM antenna on the Tower.

Overcompensate much?

9. The Jungfraujoch Railway Station

What do you get when you cross the Swiss Alps with Europe's love of passenger trains? The Jungfraujoch railway station, which is 11,333 feet above sea level. Okay, that's not much of a joke, but the Swiss aren't known for their sense of humor (kidding!). So once you've made this hair-raising train trip to the top of the world, what can you do besides gorging on Swiss chocolate and fondue? How about checking out an Ice Palace or a ski and snowboard park that's only open in the summer?

om nom nom

8. Mt. Kilimanjaro

For number eight, let's take this a notch higher. It's true that Mt. Kilimanjaro makes the Alps look puny. But with a summit of 19,340 feet, Africa's tallest peak is actually accessible enough for real people to climb, sans oxygen tanks. Of course that's not to say it's an easy task, especially if you're the type who favors the escalator to the stairs.

Floor 5895: Neon hiking gear and ridiculous hats

7. London Eye

Coming back a little closer to earth, the London Eye is essentially a big ol' Ferris wheel. If that doesn't wow you, consider that the 443-foot-tall ride was the tallest of its kind when it opened in 2000. If you want to make your visit more upscale, you can purchase a glass of Champagne for an additional £30. I think I'll pass on the pricey drink. I'll be happy just to hold down my lunch while in one of the pods.

OH NOES!

6. Singapore Flyer

With about 100 more vertical feet than the London Eye, The Singapore Flyer took the role of world's highest Ferris wheel when it opened this month. One of the coolest things about the Flyer is its taxi-driver promotion, which currently awards all cabbies a free ride. I guess the idea is they'll be so taken with their trip that they won't be able to stop talking up the attraction to their customers. I'm assuming they're not trying to recruit the drivers to be "pod pilots." Just one warning to those who do take the Flyer: Don't write your name in your cabin. They're not big fans of graffiti in Singapore.

Never Forget: Michael P. Fay

5. The Top of the Rock

The Empire State Building is great, but it's soooo 20th century. For the latest in Big Apple views, you gotta hit the Top of the Rock. The "Rock" in question is Rockefeller Center, and while its 850-foot-high observation deck doesn't reach the Empire State Building's height, , this deck affords a much better view of the ESB than you'll get when you're standing on the building itself. Oh, and our sister site TripAdvisor's users rank the Top of the Rock number one of 1,296 New York City attractions. 'Nuff said.

Hey, is that Tina Fey? Let's not forget her either.

4. La Paz

Just about any spot in La Paz, Bolivia, the world's highest capital city, can make the most grounded person feel as if his head is in the clouds. At 11,942 feet in elevation, La Paz is an attraction in itself. If you go, make sure you're prepared for the altitude. You can take a medicine such as Diamox, or just chew some coca leaves like the locals. La Paz's Museum of the Coca Plant is the place to learn more about the coca leaf and all its interesting uses.

im in ur bolivia sniffin ur cokez

3. The Edge

It might be in Melbourne, Australia, but there is nothing "Down Under" about The Edge, a glass cube that juts out of the Eureka Tower, which at 975 feet is the world's tallest residential building. The worst … er, best part of it all is that The Edge doesn't just sit there like all the other observation decks. No, you get in and it physically moves outward until you're hanging out with nothing between you and a long fall but some chintzy glass panel.

Hello, Hello. I'm at a place called Vertigo.

2. Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 is currently the world's tallest building at a height of 1,670 feet, though the Burj Dubai is set to overtake that record when it officially opens. At that height, I'm really not interested in which one is taller, but rather how the hell I can get down safely. What I think is coolest about the 101 is not just its height, but how big it is relative to the buildings around it. It's as if former NBA big man Manute Bol decided to show up and play pickup hoops with you and your friends. Basically, the Taipei 101 doesn't care about its neighboring skyscrapers—it's going to dunk on their asses.

Manute enlarged to show texture.

1. Insanity, the Ride

Which brings us to number one. Yes, Insanity, the Ride, at Las Vegas' Stratosphere, is not only the most vertigo-inducing attraction in the world, it's probably the most wetting-your-pants/barfing-your-guts-out one as well. The casino-hotel stands 1,149 feet above The Strip, which is what you'll be gaping down at as you are spun at three-Gs by a "massive mechanical arm" extended 64 feet out from the building. I can barely even look at the picture below without feeling queasy.

What do Jessica Simpson, Hulk Hogan and Eminem have in common? They’re neighbors, silly! Simpson recently closed on a 1,200-square-foot condo in the posh Palms Place Las Vegas . Her new love nest (hello, Tony Romo) features a marble bath big enough to live in, the requisite hardwood floors and plasma TVs, and multiple balconies from which to observe the commoners roaming The Strip below.
And not that Tony Romo needs to be jealous of Nick Lachey, but this condo was originally purchased by the then-married couple. It ended up in Jessica’s possession in their divorce settlement. But seeing as Jessica reportedly hasn’t seen the condo yet, it’s not as if Tony has to worry about Jessica and Nick’s memories of the place.

The Drift Spa, one of the many amenities of the Palms Palace, should keep Ms. Simpson busy. It is the exclusive Vegas home of celeb-favorite Sunset Tan, after all. And if she doesn’t feel like venturing out for dinner, the Palace does offer 24-hour room service. Now if they can just figure out if Jessica prefers chicken or fish, they’ll be a step ahead of the game.

With the opening of the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas this month (reservations are available beginning March 31), Sin City has yet another behemoth property and the famously coiffed Donald Trump has one more reason to shoot his mouth off. To find out more, I decided to comb over the hotel's website.

Turns out, the "Tower" is actually two towers, or will be once the second is built. The two structures have the same number of rooms (OK, OK, Tower I has 1,282 compared to just 1,280 in Tower II, but let's not split hairs). According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, this new project is all about luxury: "floor-to-ceiling windows, kitchens with granite countertops, marble floors in entries and baths, vanities with marble countertops, spa tubs in master baths, owner's lockout closets, and mirrors with embedded TVs." And though The Donald is clearly a fan of rugs, there's no mention of carpeting.

All of this opulence seems fitting for Trump, whose mane focus seems to be convincing America what a classy guy he is. Perhaps another good way for him to get his message out would be to pump The Apprentice to the cardio machines with built-in televisions, a staple of the Technogym health club.

BookingBuddy is home to some big-time data geeks. While digging through our proprietary data and correlating it with some external studies, we’ve discovered something very interesting: Northwest Airlines appears to be profiting off misery and sin! More specifically, they’re profiting off of miserable people fleeing Detroit (not unlike Snake Pliskin fleeing the Big Apple in Escape from New York) for the temptations of Sin City, Las Vegas.